Automatic point for paper-folding machines.



Patented Apr. 23, I901.

C. A; STUBTEVANJ'.

' AUTOMATIC POINT FOR PAPER FOLDING MACHINES.

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1900.)

(No Model UNITED STATES FFICE.

ATENT CHARLES A. STUR'IEVANT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,628, dated April. 23, 1901.

Application filed March 14, 1900. Serial No. 8,597. \llo model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. STURTE- VANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pointsfor Paper-Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in automatic points for paper-folding machines whereby the sheet of paper to be folded may be very quickly and readily engaged by the points for accurately alining the sheet before it is folded.

One object of my invention is to provide stationary adjustable points, means for protecting the points when not in use, and means for engaging the sheet for depressing a portion of the sheet at one side of the slits therein for permitting the stationary points to enter the slits without fail, this last-mentioned means also serving to depress the point-protecting devices.

A further object is to provide means for adjusting the several devices accurately with respectto each to insure the folding of the sheets at theproper places.

A practical embodiment of my present invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a partial vertical section through a sheet-folding machine from front to rear with one of my improved automatic points applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the point and its adjacent parts on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same. Fig. l is a top plan view. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the point proper and its yielding protecting device. Fig. 6 is a front view of the point-protecting device and the device for opening the slit in the sheet for permitting the point to enter the same. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of opening the slit to permit the point to enter the same; and Fig. 8 is a detail View of a modified form of yielding pointprotecting device, showing the protectingroller yieldingly held in position by a counterbalance-weightinstead of a spring, as in the other form shown.

I have only represented in the accompanying drawings so much of a paper-folding machine as will illustrate the location and opera tion of my improved automatic point, as my present invention is only directed to this particular attachment and not to the folding-machine.

A number of the paper-carrying tapes and their rolls are represented in the accompanying drawings and also the sheet-folder, which parts may be operated in the usual manner. One of the cross-beams of the machine is denoted by Aand the other by B. A rock-shaft O extends across the machine at a point below but quite near the cross-beam B. The usual forward and backward reciprocating stop D is arranged in position to engage the advance edge of the sheet as it is fed into the machine when the stop is at the limit of its forward movement, serving to temporarily stop the movement of the sheet for permitting the sheet to be brought into engagement with the alining-points to be hereinafter described. This stop D is reciprocated by rocking levers d, one only of which is shown herein, fulcrumed on the cross-beam A.

As the two or more points which are located in the desired positions across the folding-machine are all quite similar in construction and operation, I will only describe one of them at length.

The automatic point and its adjacent parts are constructed and arranged as follows: A stationary hanger E is rigidly clamped on the cross-beam B at a point approximate to the position which the automatic point is intended to occupy. The rock-shaft 0 passes freely through the hanger and is partially supported thereby. A clamp-screw 6 serves to secure the hanger in its position on the cross-beam B. An adjustable hanger F is supported by the cross-beam B adjacent to the stationary hanger E, and the hanger F is adjusted along the cross-beam laterally to the machine by an adj usting-screw e, mounted in a lug on the hanger E and having a screwthreaded engagement with a lug f on the adjustable hanger F. After the hanger F has been adjusted to the required position it may be securely clamped therein by a setscrew f, which engages the cross-beam B. This hanger F has two depending branches f f through which the rock-shaft O freely passes and rocks. The upper forwardly-extended arm g of a bracket Gis'secu'r'ed'to the bottom of the branchf of the hanger 'F by a screw-bolt g. The arm g and branch f have a tongue-and-groove connection with each 5 other, and the arm is further provided with an elongated slot g through which the bolt? g passes, so that the bracket G may be bodily adjusted to the front or rear, as may be desired. The lower arm g of the bracket Gi's IO extended forwardly a considerable distance. to the front of the temporary sheet-stop D and is located just beneath the sheet-carrying tapes. In the arm g near its forward end, the stationary adjustable pointH is mounted. I5 This point hasa forwardlyextended knife-;

edge h, located just above the carrying-tapes, a shoulder h resting upon the top of the arm g and a downwardly-extended shank 71. which passes through an elongated slot g in the arm and projects a short distance below the same. Thepoint is adjusted accurately to the front or rear by an adjustingscrew -I, mounted at its rear end in a l ugg i on the bracket G and ha'vingits forward end in screw-threaded engagement with the shank.

k of the point.

The point -protectingdevice comprises a roller J, which is mounted in the'free ends of a pair of yielding arms jji, projecting rear- 0 Wardly from a plate 3?, secured to the top of the arm g at its forward end, the roller being located in close proximity to the knife-edge h of the point. The army is preferably cut away beneath the arms-j 7'.', so as to permit the roller to be depressed by the device for opening the slit in the'sheet. Theroller J is normally in aposition with its top in substantial alinement with the knife-edge of the point,

so as to direct the advance edge of the sheet 4oover the said point to permit it to be fed until its advance movement is arrested'by the stop D. The rollrf J is p rovidedwith a circumferential groove 7' shown the roller J mounted on the upper arm of a counterbalance-lever, which is hinged to the end of the arm g? of the bracket G, the

weighted arm of the said lever tending to hold the roller yieldingly. in its normal position.

The device for-opening the slit in'thesheet at tlie proper timeis constructed and arranged as follows: A swinging arm K is mounted upon the rock-shaft 0 between the branches f f of the hanger F and extends forwardly. therefrom overthe arms g of the brack etG 'and above the sheet-carrying tapes. This arm K has a feather-and-groove connection, with the shaft 0, so that the arm-is fixed to: rock therewith and yet maybe adj 'ustedlaterally along the shaft when thehanger'F is: thus -adjusted. In the accompanying dr'awings I have shown the shaft 0 as having the groove and the hub of v the arm K as 'being provided with a screw Z0, fitted toen'ter the said groove. A roller L is carried'by the free ,end of the arm K in position to be swung down into engagement with the'sheet, and it is so arranged that it will depress the roller J In Fig. 8 Ih a ve a't thesametime that it depresses one edge .of the slit, thus opening'the slit-suificiently to insure the knife-edge of the point entering the same as the paper is further advanced. This roller is preferably narrower than the rolle'rJ and has 'a'con'vex periphery fitted to enter the groove j in the said roller J, thus insuring a wider opening of the slit in the sheet. The roller Lis m adeve'rtically ad j ustable by mounting it in a plate Z, which plate is provided with an adjusting-screw l, engaging the arm "K', and a set-screw-"P, engaging "the said arrnfor clamping the plate, and

thereby the roller, in the desired adjustment. The operation of myinvention is as follows: The sheet to be folded is fed into the machine until'the advanceedge of the sheet is arrested 'by the stopD. Wflienthe sheetis thustem- ,pora'rily arrested, the'slitin tlie sheet'will be located just infr'ont and above the stationary point. The shaft'O is'then rocked in a directionto swingthe'arm K downwarmthus causin front of the point, sothatthe fiirthe'r advance movement of the sheetcaiises the'point to enter the slit, and 'thus finally'al'in'e the sheet ready to be folded.

"In the structurehereinabove'describedthe several parts maybe adjusted to the'finest degree'with respect to the stationary point,

-and't'he arrangement of the (parts for openingth'e'slits injthe sheet iss'uhthatthe slit maybe made of a lesser length than has been hithertonecessary, as'it "is netno'wrequi'red to allow for any play in thesheet'whatev'er. Whatl claim i 's ,7 H 1. Means for aliningsheets ofjp'aperjhaving slits therein comprising means for'feed- .ing a sheet, means for tempo'rarilyarresting the advance movement "of the sheet-and a stationary point arranged to enter a slitfin the'sheet as the advance 'movement of the sheet is completed, Isubst'antially'as'setforth.

iing slits therein,comprising'means forfeedin'g asheet, means'for'teinpo'ra'rilyarresting the advance movement of the sheetjastationary'point arranged to enter 'a'slitin the sheet as the advance movemenrof the sheet is com- ='.pleted'and means for adjusting the pointfto thefrontor rear, substantiallyas 'set forth.

3. Meansforalining sheets of .paperjhavi'ng' 'slitstlierein comprising means for feeding a sheet, means for temporarily"arresting the'ad'van'ce movement of the sheet, astationary ,point, *an'da device for opening 'th'e'slit asth-eadvancemovemm of" the sheet is comjletd, substantiallyas set forth.

4. Means 'fo'r alin'ing sheets ofpaperfha v- 'ing slitstherein comprisingnieansffor feedinga sheet, a stationarypoint, a'yi'elding prmtectihg'devicefor the point, means for-temporarily arresting the advance'inovefmentof "whe'reby'the'pointiscah'sed to enter'theslit the sheet and means for opening the slit in the sheet whereby the point is caused to enter the slitas the advance movement of the sheet is completed, substantially as set forth.

5. Means for alining sheets of paper having slits therein comprising means for feeding a sheet, means for temporarily arresting the advance movement of the sheet, a stationary point, and means for guiding the slit in the sheet into engagement with the point as the advance movement of the sheet is completed, substantially as set forth.

6. Means for alining sheets of paper having slits therein comprising means for feeding a sheet, a stationary point, a yielding point-protectin g device located in front thereof and means for depressing the point-protecting device and opening the slit whereby the point is caused to enter the slit as the sheet is advanced, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a cross-beam of a paper-folding machine, of a stationary point, a support therefor, a slit-opening device, a support therefor and means for adjusting the two supports laterally along the beam, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a cross-beam of a paper-folding machine, of a stationary point, a support therefor, a slit-opening device, a support therefor and means for adjusting the point-support to the front and rear, substantially as set forth.

9. In a paper-folding machine, a point, a stationary support therefor, a slit-opening device arranged above and to the front of the said point and a vertically-swinging support for the said slit-opening device, substantially as set forth.

10. In a paper-folding machine, a point, a stationary support therefor, a slit-opening device arranged above and to the front of the said point, a vertically-swinging support therefor, and means for adjusting the said slit-opening device vertically with respect to its swinging support, substantially as set forth.

11. In a paper-folding machine, a crossbeam, a rock shaft, a stationary point, a bracket for supporting the point carried by the said cross-beam, a slit-opening device and a swinging arm for supporting the said slitopening device carried by the said rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

12. In a paper-folding machine, a crossbeam, a stationary hanger secured thereto, an adjustable hanger supported by the crossbeam, a stationary point, a bracket for supporting the point secured to the said adjustable hanger and an adjusting device connecting the stationary and adjustable hanger for adjusting the point laterally with respect to the machine, substantially as set forth.

13. In a paper-folding machine, a crossbeam, a rock-shaft, an adjustable hanger supported by the cross-beam and provided with a pair of depending branches which embrace the rock-shaft, a stationary point, a bracket for supporting the point secured to one of the said depending branches, a slit-opening device, an arm for supporting the device, the said arm having a feather-and-groove connection with the said rock-shaft between the branches of the said hanger and means for sliding the hanger and thereby the point and slit-opening device laterally with respect to the machine, substantially as set forth.

14.. In combination a stationary poin'r,asupport therefor and a point-protecting device comprising a yielding roller mounted on the said supportin front of the point and normally in position to protect the end of the said point, substantially as set forth.

15. In a paper-folding machine, a stationary point and a device for opening a slit in the paper to be folded for causing it to engage the said point, consisting of a roller arranged to engage one edge of the slit and depress it, substantially as set forth.

16. In a paper-folding machine, a stationary point, a yielding protecting-roller mounted in front of the said point and a device for opening the slit in the paper to be folded consisting of a roller arranged to depress the protecting-roller and also one edge of the slit as the said slit-opening device is moved downwardly, substantially as set forth.

17. In a paper-folding machine, a stationary point, a protecting roller mounted in yielding supports in front of the said point, the said protecting-roller having a circumferential groove therein and a slit-opening device consisting of a roller arranged to engage one edge of a slit in the paper to be folded and depress the said edge in to the circumferential groove for positively opening the slit, as the slit-opening device is moved downwardly, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of March, I 1900.

CHAS. A. STUR'IEVANT.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, EDWARD VIEsER. 

